Class Is In Session!

I have a hard time deciding what to tell you all since a lot has happened in this past week. The major change at the home this week has been the fact that school has begun. They had just gotten off of their break and this week has been spent reviewing and preparing for the exams that they take before the next term begins to monitor their progress.

Cassidy, Sarah and myself went to morning prayers, which start before school each morning, and they assigned us classrooms to help in. Sarah is helping with the babies, Cassidy with Class 2 and I am with Class 5. The grades are different here and the students are placed on ability not age. I have kids that are anywhere from 9-15 years old in my classroom. Anyways, the one teacher got up after we were assigned classrooms and announced that he was resigning...which pretty much meant that I had to take over teaching that class that day without any prep! They said that another teacher was coming, but yesterday they informed me that I am the head teacher! It's official...I have my own class of 14 students. I was excited, but I am also very overwhelmed right now. There is a lot of prep work and a lot of time that is being put into this one class and as the head teacher, I need to be in charge of making official lesson plans, schemes of work and tests! Cassidy has another teacher with her but she has been doing a lot of teaching as well.

The students get up at the break of dawn, go to morning prayers, the older classes (which is one of mine) start school at 7 am and then go to assembly at 7:30 and then class till after 4 pm. It's really quite a long day. And as teachers, we are required to give the students homework in each class, each night. These students work so hard...but they have to here in Kenya if they want to make it at all. Before and after school they have chores to do. They are in charge of washing their own clothes and so on. One of the girls also named Zipporah, is 17 and she goes to school all day and takes care of the babies any moment she is not studying. She is the definition of responsibility!

The African way is so foreign to me though. They have all of this work to do and they pile it on and then say..."Don't worry, it's ok!" And the funny thing is that it always is ok...very unorganized and a little chaotic at times, but it always works out.

On saturday, the three of us and 7 of the big boys went to hike the Ngong Hills. We left at about 9:30 and got back around 5:30, walking the whole way. We were a little sore the next day. It was absolutely beautiful though. We bought the boys and ourselves food in Ngong and then carried it with us and had a picnic at the top of one of the hills...the pictures we took doesn't even do it justice! It was a cloudy, rainy and cooler day, so it was good weather for a hike. When we got back though and out of the sun I realized that I was absolutely fried! I guess that when you are sitting on the equator...even the cold days can burn you! I honestly think I have liek a 2nd or 3rd degree burn on my neck. It's peeled, blistered, pussing and is unreal painful! I have learned to put sunscreen on always!!!!!

The other day somebody sent some chocolate for the home! This was so much fun to be a part of. Each child got one banana and a small piece of chocolate at supper time and they were soooo thankful! Just from one tiny piece of chocolate.

Our meals consist of rice, ugali, beans and cabbage...all cooked in oil! I'm very thankful for salt and pepper and I think that you should all be very thankful for a variety in your menus! It's good though, and after working all day you become so thankful for anything you get on your plate!

We thank you so much for praying. We need it! Please continue to pray for us. I would appreciate that you continue to pray for my mom as well. Pray that God continues to heal her. Pray for the three of us as we are adjusting to the Kenyan school system's way of doing things. Pray for these children and that they stay motivated with their schooling, so they have a chance in life. Pray that God continues to provide for the home and that us girls are able to maintain the energy we need to continually show these children the love that they need. Pray for the highschoolers that are off to boarding school.

My Kiswahili is coming along. I can say basic phrases and pick up on what others are saying from picking out select words. Plus the three of us have picked up some pretty sweet dance moves! You won't even know who we are anymore!!!

Ps. Huruma means mercy in Kiswahili...how fitting!

Love,
Joelle on behalf of the girls